Mits likes to do big, impressive strips, filled with interesting interactions, huge, sprawling cityscapes and enough curious details to rival China Mieville’s descriptions.
Luckily, that’s not for this project. He behaves when it comes to 4th Wall, most of the time.
Well, he got better.
Somewhat.
So I come home from work, and Aymee says something that amounts to “we need to talk”.
Once I located my heart again, she explains that she has an idea. Wait, hang on, it’s a sketch. No, wait, it’s a finished comic.
At some point in there somewhere, I had the opportunity to say that I really really liked it, thought the idea was funny (well, it is, to us!) and that I love the kick-ass style. I’ve always had a thing for things that remind me of crayons in any way. Still, it’s 95% awesome and 5% humbling. Today, I am reduced to a blogging-addendum-creature.
On topic of the comic itself? I’d probably be a little bit insulted, hurt, or at least miffed if it were the full truth. Today at “work” I listened to three dozen pony trance remixes and surfed all the interwebs. Calling it a job is a stretch. Half the time, I get paid to surf the interwebs.
The party dialogue system in SWTOR was the first thing that actually made my jaw drop. The degree to which companions are a part of your game experience is amazing, sure, but that was something I was eased into. Seeing how the game handled multi-person dialogue, however, was big and it was sudden.
Maybe it’s because I still see this as multiplayer Mass Effect, but there is nothing I look forward to quite as much as having party conversations inside a new flashpoint. Now, you could argue that the roll system is entirely arbitrary and perhaps even “silly”, but as this comic shows, we violently disagree.
Or not. Silly is good. I wish we’d get little fight scenes when I want to say something cool and Ayms tries to be all nice and stuff.
Serious boring note: “Elective democracy.” Apparently this is taken by some to mean something rather specific (a contradiction, even), but google hits were sparse. Perhaps it’s even redundant in that democracies are elective by nature where they aren’t direct? I don’t even know, but it looks better this way. A literalist, I ain’t.
Me boonawa tutetotabah wonga wonga, nakanoyachoisky bushudah-
Er, that is to say, hi. This here is what happens when your artist gets to make a comic with whatever expressions she likes, leaving the writer to fill the gaps.
If I felt superfluous before, at times, I now almost feel like a detractor. Expressions are amazing! I mean, come on. Panel 3, anyone?
Now, this is of course a minor exaggeration – and a half-truth; the strip was planned – but I am tempted to suggest to Aymee that she draws a strip before I script it, once. I have no idea if that would work. I also have no idea whether or not you guys found this here strip today even remotely funny.
Before you ask: Yes, this blog exists solely for me to toy around with semicolons and various dashes. I never get to place a semicolon inside a set of dashes anywhere else. One of these days, I may even try using emdashes and those-other-dashes in the same paragraph just to annoy people.
After a year of comics, and a long break, we’re now in our “second season” – whatever the hay that means – and now we decide to break out the “rogues do it from behind” jokes. Sometimes, I wonder what we’re even doing.
If nothing else, we are certainly keeping our promise of not having a set update schedule! Add to this the fact that I technically have a “job” now (quotation marks mandatory) and practically everything I have ever known is turned on its head. I am not thrilled about the job part, but I’m certain this is only temporary.
Unrelated fact-spam because Aymee’s crude humor is, as ever, unforgivable. In other news: sugar.
Howdy y’all! Back in the saddle, yee-haw! Well – sort of. As Ayms is sure to be tellin’ you up there in the big chair, we ain’t about to commit to no fancy-schmancy “schedule” again just yet. It don’t matter none. Compared to our little nap, we’re fit as pair of fiddles at a barn dance!
Well, as for Mits in the strip, y’can draw your conclusions, yeah? What I will say is this: anything that gets me writing is right proper okay in my book. Acourse there’s more to it’n that, but I ain’t about to preach. If you’re in the know and find yourself over in the right places – such as EqD – it might be that the name Cloudy Skies isn’t unfamiliar to me. Just, well. With all due respect, don’t come crying ‘ter me if it ain’t your speed, is all.
I’m not gonna bore you with much more talk, but I just made something wonderful and awesome sound like a dreary and terrible thing, and that just ain’t right.
Fact is, I feel I’ve learned more ’bout writing in the past four months than I have in all the years that came ‘afore. I’ve met some wonderful people, and I like to think I’ve changed for the better as a person. I’m bloody happy, and I am rearing to write again. Rather, let’s make that “again and still”. Writing’s been all I’ve been doing lately, and now? Season 2 of 4th Wall is here!
And no, I’ve no idea why I wrote that in a horribly mangled not-quite-Southern accent.
Well okay, maybe I do.
In other news: The new house-place-area is awesome, and Delta is the cutest dog ever. She continues to try to get me past my hygiene-related OCDs by washing my face every now and then. Yay dog spittle! Thank you, Delta.
Hey now, China Mieville is an awesome writer. Which reminds me, I need to track down Un Lun Dun and whatever other books he’s written since…
*walks away distractedly*
You, Sir, are entirely correct. Miéville is probably one of my favorite authors ever. I read Perdido Street Station as my first book by him, and I swear by it as Best(tm).
Funny enough, I also finished Un Lun Dun just yesterday! So.. I shall say no more, and, er, not distract you from your distracted Miévilling!
Heeey, it was in no way intended as badmouthing Mieville – I was just giving you guys some insight into the brain of Mits. Simple as. I love Mieville ^^
As Meta as it gets? Not true, I’d like to see a comic that directly responds to comments. Ahh, we just like making your life difficult.
Oh… and I know I’m only gushing at this point but I still love your ability to draw expressions. (last panel)
See, I just want to hug you more every time you comment.
That sounded less creepy in my head, I swear.
And I would love to do that too, but for some reason I have to go to this OTHER place to “work”, so I can “earn money”. I don’t really approve of this. Should totally get to draw comics all day long. See, I could ANSWER all your comments with tiny sketchy comics!
It would be glorious.
Well, its hard to get payed for comicing when you dont have a paypal link or anything like that :p hint hint
Point. I swear, the moooment I’m done working ALL THE TIME and then falling into bed to sleep when I get home, I’ll look into it.
Seems like you get the short end of the stick Aymee, what with being the artist and all. Not to say writing a good web comic isn’t hard, but drawing it has to take forever!
Also, I feel the warm fuzzies from your comic, 4th wall, breaking the 4th wall >.>
Awww, thank you! And while I won’t deny that drawing takes a while, it’s usually between three to five hours – and Mits is generally a hero about fetching me stuff and being entertaining, so it’s all good!